I have been meaning to blog, but to be quite honest have struggled a bit mentally to sit down and write down what I have been feeling. Sometimes in this digital age the number of opinions, stories, feelings and stuff in general being thrown around can be overwhelming. There is quite a bit that could be addressed, could be shared, but in general most of what seems controversial, topical, and in the moment seems sometimes ill fitted to such means of sharing. I tend to prefer more listening, more trying to understand and hear rather than talking and fighting to be understood. It seems to make things easier to comprehend and provides a better position from which to respond, hopefully in love.

So, if you ever want to talk and chew the fat over any of the topics of the day, family, or anything else...shoot me an email. Otherwise, at least for right now, I doubt I'll be commenting on such things here. Now, back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

This month of September had two great groups here among all the other "normal" activities going on, they were a highlight for sure, and again amazingly proved how much can be done in one week with a team here.

The groups both, as did another couple groups this year, worked on the wall/fence surrounding the Cantaranas Church property.

What has been great to see is the volunteers there when we are there, and how much work gets done between our trips as well (as long as funding is there between what the groups bring and what they can raise in the meantime.)

We are not scheduled to have any more teams for at least six months, so that will mean no more help on the wall, but hopefully they can make progress even without all the funding the groups bring to that gargantuan work, and that hopefully by this time next year it can be completed. ​​Groups have also helped on the Milk Project building construction, but for the most part, the Honduran guys have been tackling the big stuff, including the roofing/siding of the second floor (or fourth floor depending on how you want to look at it) which is tricky business indeed.

We are working in faith on this, hoping the donations will continue to come (insert obvious but necessary donation link here: PAYPAL )to finish this on schedule by the end of the year, to move and start operations there in January 2018.

In addition to building a building, we are building plans how to use that building and increase the "use" of the Milk Project once it does move. May God guide those decisions and plans, it should be fun along the way!

Building things up also includes life skills. The sewing ministry in Talanga is proceeding apace, with almost no involvement from us. The Church there started with 10 women, tested their resolve to actually learn sewing by going over theory and how to care for a machine before ever letting anyone loose on one (smart.) Since then, they have slowly started working towards learning how to actually make things along the way (seen here with covers for tortillas), as well as learn about Christ while they do it. None of the women starting this project attended the Church. Where will it go from here?

The mission house is undergoing some more tweaks this year as well. This time, we took out the old bunk beds (they will soon be going to Las Botijas and Sampedrana for use for the coffee harvesters) and added these more comfortable, high falootin' versions that should outlive us all. Group funds pay for these bad boys, and they are the Cadillacs of bunk beds. Hopefully when the Milk Project moves out, and with group help, we will have a much better functioning and welcoming mission house in the future. We love those that come to serve with us and want to take care of them as well as we can. You know, like we actually want you to come back sort of thing.

The building up of our ambulance program is almost done. The vehicle cleared for service, the stickers applied, working on some internal modifications, now just the rules/regulations and it should be good to go into service!

Building things...it is easy to stick to physical things. They are easier...they do not talk back, they involve math, and fit together relatively well. Let us not forget about building each other up, as well as ourselves before Christ. It starts with us, and then to our families, and then to those around us be they near or far. Soren's birthday was this month as well. He seems to be growing up very well in the ways of the Lord. We cannot take the credit though for that...it is a group effort of parents, sibling, extended family, friends, teachers, Church body, groups, and more.

Let us continue to build the Kingdom around us....listening, sharing, understanding, hanging on loosely to the things of the world and instead standing on Christ alone as our foundation and He who would direct us where to go, what to say, and how to do it all. ​